Wednesday, August 20, 2014

People Exactly Like Us

I spend a lot of time thinking about how people are treated. Sometimes it's the tragic news stories that dominate my twitter news list. Other times the pain is very local...an overheard racial slur, or a demeaning comment about a gay or lesbian person.

I have to tell you...I'm feeling sad today.

QuestionsNow before you think I'm getting all soft and weepy, consider these questions:

- What have you done in your workplace, above and beyond what the law requires, to create a positive environment for all employees?- What words do you use, even casually away from work? Do you have a "leadership" vocabulary for the office, and a "personal" one when you're with your friends?

- Do you support companies that have track records of discriminating against people simply because they are different? - When you experience forms of discrimination, large or small, do you speak up or play it safe and remain silent?People Are PeopleThankfully my parents instilled in me from the moment I was old enough to interact with other human beings that everyone is equal.

No group, viewpoint, or taken-out-of-context Bible verse justifies discriminating against anyone. (By the way, my Father was a very successful Pastor.)

The good news in all of the persistent chaos around us is that we do have laws that protect people, more and more states are recognizing the rights of people to love and marry whomever they chose, and companies like mine are offering benefits to all employees.How About YouDo you make sure your organization accepts everyone? How exactly do you make that happen? It would be a shame if any of our organizations had a reputation for only hiring people who were just like us.